Grand National (Irish greyhound race)

For other uses, see Grand National (disambiguation).

The Grand National was a greyhound racing competition held annually at various tracks throughout Ireland.

Irish Grand National

Feature race (discontinued)
Inaugurated	1928
Last run	2020
Sponsor	Greyhound & Petworld Luxury Transport
Race information
Distance	525 yards hurdles
Surface	Sand
Qualification	hurdlers only

The race was inaugurated in 1928 at Shelbourne Park and was shared between the two Dublin tracks of Shelbourne and Harold's Cross Stadium before being switched to the old Cork (Western Road) Greyhound Stadium just before World War II.^[1]

Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium hosted the race in 1960 & 1961 until Thurles Greyhound Stadium took over from 1962 to 1984. The competition returned to Shelbourne in 1985 for another 15 years but once again the nomadic race switched to Harold's Cross and was staged from 2001 to 2016 at the track.^[2] Following the closure of Harold's Cross, the event was switched to Cork in 2017.^[3]

It was the leading hurdle event in Ireland and an integral part of the Irish greyhound racing calendar.^[4] The event came to an end after the 2020 edition.

Past winners

Year	Winner	Breeding	Time	Trainer	SP
1928	The Tanker	Steam Drifter – Border Gift		Horan	4-1
1929	Merry Falcon		32.50	Magner
1930	Captain Koehle	Creaves - Glenville Girl	32.20	Carroll
1932	Cowboy II	Halifax – Saucy Nell	31.94		1-1f
1933	Hot Shot	Solid Man – Cosa Bana	32.14		5-4
1934	Hot Shot	Solid Man – Cosa Bana
1935	Orluck	Mutton Cutlet - Sairshea
1936	Druze	Red House – Black Looks	31.21	Joe McKenna	1-1f
1937	Cheers For Ballyduff	Hes Next – Noomans Fancy		V.O'Donoghue
1938	Pals Rover	Roving Bunty – Palnetto	31.28	G Hely	2-1
1939	Lawyers Bouquet	Lawyers Fee - Dunmurry Princess	30.93	P.Kelly	9-4
1940	Ballymakeera Gift	Ammon Carb – Old Capwell	31.17	J.Curtin	2-1
1941	The Gunner	Gay Brigade – La Lavelle	31.03	Miss K.Nolan	4-5f
1959	Dually Rapid	Ballymac Ball - Marchioness Minnie	31.15
1960	Dawn Dancer	Prince of Bermuda – Peaceful Dancer	31.40
1961	Tropical Splendour	Northern King – Shaggy Dancer	31.15
1962	Indoor Sport	Champion Prince - Yoblstrap	30.85
1963	Trojan Van	Whirling Turk – Sitting Pretty	30.85
1964	Ashgrove Chief	Golsto –Ashgrove Black	31.10	T Leahy
1965	Bolshoi Prince	The Grand Prince – Bolshoi Artiste	30.65
1966	Bandit	Go Go Rambo – Red Ruthie	30.95
1967	Olivers Leader	Prairie Flash – Olivers Love	30.20	T Wade
1968	Rusheen Rhythm	Pigalle Wonder – Flying Fashion	30.85	M Sullivan
1969	Hilcrest Pride	Clonalvy Pride – Last Pot	30.65	Michael Collins
1970	Fire Hunter	Carry On Oregon – Land Hunter	30.95	G Flynn
1971	Getaway Buff	O'Leary – Fannie Caesar	31.04	T O'Connor
1972	Special	Monalee Champion – Coil Valley	30.85	J Foley
1973	Special	Monalee Champion – Coil Valley	29.75	J Foley
1974	Special	Monalee Champion – Coil Valley	30.95	J Foley
1975	Own Kuda	Kilbeg Kuda – Kitty Proud	31.00	J Noonan
1976	Pick Me	Monalee Champion – Hunday Pet	30.14	M Sylver
1977	Pick Me	Monalee Champion – Hunday Pet	29.96	M Sylver
1978	Bowery Music	Westpark Thady – Cavity Block	30.40	P Jones
1979	Kerragh Sambo	Own Pride- Keeragh Flo	30.20	Matt O'Donnell
1980	Killerisk Prince	Killerisk Boy – Mermaids Hope	30.42	Mrs N Boyle
1981	Face The Mutt [5]	Mutts Silver – Mill Road Cast	30.16	Mrs N Jackson
1982	Master Bob	Greenview Bob – Bowery Lad	30.06	P Jones
1982	Arabian Knight	Rita's Choice – Silly Sis	30.68	J Allen
1984	Buanait	Offshore Diver – Brook Blonde	30.42
1985	Mars Mist	Inny Mist – I'm Trendy	30.14	T O'Sullivan
1986	Sand Blinder	Sand Man – Tranquility Sea	30.04	Mrs J Kenny
1987	Off You Sail	Sail On II – It's You	30.48	Sam Sykes - England
1980	Handball	Game Ball – Killowna Gem	30.19	T Lynch
1980	Handball	Game Ball – Killowna Gem	30.06	J Rouse
1990	Gizmo Pasha	Whisper Wishes – If And When	29.67	Linda Mullins - England
1991	Yacht Club	Daleys Gold – Sand Melody	30.14
1992	Whos Lots[6]	Balalika – Lyre Daisy	30.32	Tony Byrne
1993	Hillview Leader	Leaders Best – Miss Melanie	30.27
1994	Bayview Blaze	Dutch Delight – Ask Helen	29.72
1995	Super Gunboat	Super Mecca – Gunboat Ann	29.91	Joe Kenny
1996	Gates To Heaven	Murlens Slippy – Dark Vision	29.61	Robinson
1997	Simon Simon	Murlens Abbey – Lovely Lovely	29.97	Gary Baggs - England	6-1
1998	Lynmac Flyer	Droopys Fintan – Lady Cecila	29.61	Thomas Lynch	5-2cf
1999	Tarn Bay Flash	Airmount Grand – Highmoor Mist	29.38	Dolores Ruth	6-4jf
2000	Autumn Merlin [7]	Westmead Merlin – Miss Piggy	29.20	Mick Parker	5-4
2001	Switchtoplanb [8]	Fat Fella – Call Back Kirby	29.43	Shem O'Donnell	6-1
2002	Bestofthebunch [9]	Toms The Best – Staplers Rhythm	29.93	Keeley McGee	10-1
2003	Frightened Pig [10]	Fly Fright – Miss Piggy	29.34	Jason Foster – England	8-1
2004	Joe Bananas [11]	Larkhill Jo – Woman Power	29.32	Nick Colton – England	3-1
2005	Druids Aghadoe [12]	Top Honcho – Druids Villa	29.76	John Brennan	4-1
2006	Taipan [13]	Kiowa Shawnee So – Rookery Lady	29.66	Nick Colton – England	6-4
2007	Comans Joe [14]	Jamella Prince – Springwell Sue	29.65	Jason Foster – England	4-5f
2008	Distant Legend [15]	Hondo Black - Talktothehand	29.04	Julie Power	5-4f
2009	Distant Legend [16]	Hondo Black - Talktothehand	29.10	Julie Power	3-1
2010	Junior Mac [17]	Large Mack – Slick Mona	29.44	Paul Donovan - England	7-2
2011	Olivers Twist [18]	Head Bound – Kewell Irony	29.05	Lisa Stephenson - England	2-1
2012	Baran Bally Hi [19]	Tyrur Ted – Druids Judicial	29.44	Fraser Black	7-2
2013	Hypnotic Reason [20]	Hondo Black – Handy Princess	29.72	David Stanbridge	12-1
2014	Razldazlnewstalk [21]	Kinloch Brae – Razldazl Alice	29.26	Dolores Ruth	1-2f
2015	Comeout Russell [22]	Westmead Hawk – Lady Deise	29.73	Pat Kiely	4-5f
2016	Brinkleysdominic [23]	Droopys Cain - Droopys Geneva	29.60	Pat Buckley	5-4f
2017	Offshore Bound [24]	Head Bound - Inshaarla	29.07	Patrick Fitzgerald	3-1
2018	Lightfoot Prince [25]	Candlelight King - Droopys Knox	28.88	Pat Kiely	2-1
2019	Lightfoot Kante [26]	Candlelight King - Puma Girl	29.01	Pat Kiely	1-1f
2020	Razldazl Annie [27]	Razldazl Billy - Razldazl Marilyn	29.37	Neilus O'Connell	No SP+

+ No SP due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions

Venues & distances

• Shelbourne Park (525yH 1928)
• Harold's Cross (525yH 1929–30, 1932, 1939, 1941)
• Shelbourne Park (525yH 1933–1938)
• Cork (525yH 1940)
• Kilkenny (525yH 1959–1961)
• Thurles (525yH 1962–1984)
• Shelbourne (525yH 1985–2000)
• Harold's Cross (525yH 2001–2016)
• Curraheen Park (525yH 2017–2020)

Sponsors

• 2003-2006 (Baggot Racing)
• 2008-2010 (Vetsearch Recharge)
• 2012-2012 (SalacresRacingteam.com)
• 2013-2014 (Centra)
• 2017-2020 (Greyhound & Petworld Luxury Transport)

References

1. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, page 311. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
2. Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 349. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
3. "IGB confirms closure of Harolds Cross Greyhound Stadium". IGB. Archived from the original on 10 March 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
4. "Feature Events" (PDF). Irish Greyhound Board. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
5. "Greyhound Star (Remember When - April)". Greyhound Star. 7 April 2019.
6. Fry, Paul (1995). The Official NGRC Greyhound Racing Yearbook. Ringpress Books. p. 58. ISBN 186054-010-4.
7. "2000 final Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
8. "2001 final Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
9. "2002 Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
10. "2003 Baggot Racing Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
11. "2004 Baggot Racing final". Irish Greyhound Board.
12. "Baggot Racing 2005 Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
13. "Baggot Racing 2006 Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
14. "2007 Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
15. "2008 Vetsearch final Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
16. "2009 Vetsearch Recharge Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
17. "2010 Vetsearch Recharge Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
18. "2011 final". Irish Greyhound Board.
19. "2012 SalacresRacingteam.com Grand National". Irish Greyhound Board.
20. "Centra 2013 final Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
21. "Centra 2014 final Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
22. "2015 Result". Irish Greyhound Board.
23. "2016 Grand National result". Irish Greyhound Board.
24. "2017 final". Irish Greyhound Board.
25. "2018 Grand National final". Irish Greyhound Board.
26. "The 2019 Greyhound & PetWorld Luxury Transport Irish G Final". Greyhound Racing Ireland. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
27. "Greyhound & PetWorld Luxury Transport Irish Grand National Final". Greyhound Racing Ireland. Retrieved 12 December 2020.